Abrasion resistant coatings are used on glass in various types of products, such as windows (e.g., on buildings and vehicles), bottles, containers, lenses, photovoltaic devices, and screens for flat-panel displays, touch panels, and climate control systems.
Conventional abrasion resistant glass coatings include an abrasion resistant layer (e.g., an amorphous carbon, such as diamond-like carbon) and several other layers, such as an oxide layer and a nitride layer, formed above the above the abrasion resistant layer. The nitride layer typically provides environmental and chemical durability, and the oxide layer is used as a “pull-up” layer, which can be easily dissolved after tempering, to allow easy removal of the nitride (i.e., the final product may only include the glass and the abrasion resistant layer).
In order to protect the oxide and nitride layers during handling, an additional “top protection film” (TPF), often made of a plastic or polymer, is applied above the nitride layer. The TPF is typically removed before tempering. After tempering, the nitride layer, and the oxide layer are removed (e.g., perhaps using solvents).